On February 10th, Booking.com CEO Glenn Fogel informed 2,700 employees in customer service—via a pre-taped video—that they would no longer be employed by the company in a move to outsource nearly all of customer service operations. These employees would be given the opportunity to join the outsourcer, Majorel, based in Luxembourg. This represented the second mass layoff by the company in two years.
Three days later the company aired a commercial during the Super Bowl, featuring actor Idris Elba. The 30-second spot reportedly cost the company $6.5 million dollars, which was merely the cost to air the commercial, not what the company paid Elba let alone what it cost to film and produce the ad.
How and when layoffs are conducted can have a big effect on employer brand and experience, as one laid off worker spotlighted via a post on social media:
“Just so you know, this morning (9AM Amsterdam time), Booking.com’s CEO fired every single customer service employee around the world over a PRE-RECORDED VIDEO. Everyone was kept in the dark, from frontline employees to site management. I’m so glad I didn’t put my heart in this company. Just a thing to remember when you’re watching their fancy Super Bowl ad.”
